I pray to thee, O
Lady of Ladies, Goddess of Goddesses.
O Ishtar, Queen
of all peoples, who guides mankind aright,
O Irnini, ever
exalted, greatest of the Igigi,
O mighty of
princesses, exalted is thy name.
Thou indeed art
the light of heaven and earth.
O valiant
daughter of Sin.
O supporter of
arms, who determines battle,
O possessor of
all divine power,
Who wears the
crown of domination,
O Lady, glorious
is thy greatness;
Over all the gods
it is exalted.
O star of
lamentation,
Who causes
peaceable brothers to fight,
Yet who
constantly gives friendship,
O mighty one,
Lady of battle,
Who suppresses
the mountains,
O Gushea, the one
covered with fighting,
And clothed with
terror
Thou doest make
complete judgment and decision.
The ordinances of
heaven and earth.
Chapels, holy
places, sacred sites,
And shrines pay
heed to thee.
Where is not thy
name, where is not thy divine power?
Where are thy
likenesses not fashioned?
Where are thy
shrines not founded?
Where art thou
not great?
Where art thou
not exalted?
Anu, Enlil, and
Ea have made thee high;
Among the Gods,
They have caused
thy domination to be great.
They have made
thee high among all the Igigi;
They have made
thy position pre-eminent.
At the thought of
thy name heaven and earth tremble.
The gods tremble;
the Anunnaki stand in awe.
To thine awesome
name mankind must pay heed.
For thou art
great and thou art exalted.
All the
black-headed people,
Persians and the
masses of mankind;
Pay homage to thy
might.
The judgment of
the people in truth and righteousness;
Thou indeed dost
decide.
Thou regardest
the oppressed and mistreated;
Daily thou
causest them to prosper.
Thy mercy! O Lady
of heaven and earth;
Shepheress of the
weary people.
Thy mercy! O Lady
of holy Eanna the pure storehouse.
Thy mercy! O
Lady; unwearied are thy feet;
Swift are thy
knees.
Thy mercy! O Lady
of conflict and of all battles.
O shining one,
lioness of the Igigi, subduer of angry Gods,
O most powerful
of all princes,
Who holdest the
reins over kings,
But who dost
release the bridles of all maidservants,
Who art exalted
and firmly fixed.
O valiant Ishtar,
great is thy might.
O brilliant one,
torch of heaven and earth,
Light of all
peoples,
O unequalled
angry one of the fight,
Strong one of the
battle,
O firebrand which
is kindled against the enemy;
Which brings
about the destruction of the furious,
O gleaming one,
Ishtar, assembler of the host,
O deity of men,
Goddess of women;
Whose designs no
one can conceive,
Here thou dost look,
one who is dead lives;
One who is sick
rises up;
The erring one
who sees thy face goes aright.
I have cried to
thee, suffering, wearied, and distressed;
As thy servant.
See me, O my
Lady, accept my prayers.
Faithfully look
upon me and hear my supplication.
Promise my
forgiveness and let thy spirit be appeased.
Pity!
For my wretched
body which is full of confusion,
And trouble.
Pity!
For my sickened
heart which is full of tears,
And suffering.
Pity!
For my wretched
intestines which are full of confusion,
And trouble.
Pity!
For my afflicted
house which mourns bitterly.
Pity!
For my feelings
which are satiated with tears and suffering.
O exalted Irnini,
fierce lion, let thy heart be at rest.
O angry wild ox,
let thy spirit be appeased.
Let the favor of
thine eyes be upon me.
With thy bright
features look faithfully upon me.
Drive away the
evil spells of my body,
And let me see
thy bright light.
How long, O my
Lady,
Shall my
adversaries be looking upon me;
In lying and
untruth shall they plan evil against me?
Shall my pursuers
and those who exult over me,
Rage against me?
How long, O my
Lady,
Shall the
crippled and weak seek me out?
One has made for
me long sackcloth;
Thus I have
appeared before thee.
The weak have
become strong;
But I am weak.
I toss about like
flood-water,
Which an evil
wind makes violent.
My heart is
flying;
It keeps
fluttering like a bird of heaven.
I mourn like a
dove night and day.
I am beaten down,
and so I weep bitterly.
With
"Oh" and "Alas" my spirit is distressed.
I, what have I
done, O my God and my Goddess?
Like one who does
not fear my God and my Goddess,
I am treated;
While sickness,
headache, loss,
And destruction
are provided for me;
So are fixed upon
me terror, disdain, and fullness of wrath,
Anger, choler, and
indignation of gods and men.
I have to expect,
O my Lady, dark days,
Gloomy months and
years of trouble.
Judgment of
confusion and violence.
Death and trouble
are bringing me to an end.
Silent is my
chapel; silent is my holy place;
Over my house, my
gate, and my fields,
Silence is poured
out.
As for my God;
His face is
turned to the sanctuary of another.
My family is
scattered; my roof is broken up.
(But) I have paid
heed to thee, my Lady;
My attention has
been turned to thee.
To thee have I
prayed; forgive my debt.
Forgive my sin,
my iniquity,
My shameful deeds
and my offence.
Overlook my
shameful deeds; accept my prayer;
Loosen my
fetters; secure my deliverance;
Guide my steps
aright; radiantly like a hero,
Let me enter the
streets with the living.
Speak so that at thy command,
The angry God may
be favourable;
(And) the Goddess
who has been angry with me,
May turn again.
(Now) dark and
smoky, may my brazier glow;
(Now)
extinguished, may my torch be lighted.
Let my scattered
family be assembled;
May my fold be
wide; may my stable be enlarged.
Accept the
abasement of my countenance; hear my prayers.
Faithfully look
upon me and accept my supplication.
How long, O my
Lady;
Wilt thou be
angered so that thy face is turned away?
How long, O my
Lady;
Wilt thou be
infuriated so that thy spirit is enraged?
Turn thy neck
which thou hast set against me;
Set thy face
toward good favour.
Like the water of
the opening up of a canal,
Let thy emotions
be released.
My foes like the
ground let me trample;
Subdue my haters
And cause them to
crouch down under me.
Let my prayers
and my supplications come to thee.
Let thy great
mercy be upon me.
Let those who see
me in the street magnify thy name.
As for me, let me
glorify thy divinity and thy might,
Before the
black-headed people, saying;
Ishtar indeed is
exalted; the Lady indeed is Queen.
Irnini, the
valorous daughter of Sin, has no rival.
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